Signal-plate holder for locomotive-headlights and other uses.



No. 802,669. PATENTED 00T. 2,4, 1905. H. S. TEAL. SIGNAL PLATE HDLDER FOR LOCOMOTIVE HBADLGHTS AND OTHER USES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9,1905.

l/V/ TNESSS s ENTTED STATES PATENT OFFTEE.

HENRY S. TEAL, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNTED STATES HEADLIGHT COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEWv YORK.

SIGNAL-PLATE HOLDER FOR LOCOMOTIVE-HEADLIGHTS AND OTHER USES.

Speecation of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed January 9,1905. Serial N0. 240,347.

To all whom, t nea/y concern,.-

Be it known that l, H ENRY S. TEAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Si gnal-Plate Holders for Locomotive-Headlights and other Uses; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to signal-plate holders, such as are employed on the cases of locomotive-headlights for carrying plates bearing' the number of the locomotive or train and which is illuminated by light from within the case and sometimes employed for other signal purposes; and it has for its object to provide a new and novel form of signal device in which a signal-plate can be quickly removed or inserted and the opening through which the same is admitted properly covered to protect the interior of the case from the elements.

To these ends and with a View to convenience and economy in manufacture my invention consists in certain details and combination of parts, such as will hereinafter be fully described, and pointed out in the claims at the end hereof. t

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of the holder and shows a part of the headlight-case to which it is attached, together with a num ber-plate in position within the holder; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section through the center line of Fig. 1, the numberplate being' removed and the hinged end piece shown open; Fig. 3, an end view of Fig. l; Fig. Ll, a perspective view of the end piece detached from the frame; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the catch, and Fig. 6 a longitudinal section through the line Y Y of Fig. l.

Yln the said drawings similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures thereof.

A denotes the portion of the main body of the headlight-case to which the number-frame is attached.

B represents a signal-plate bearing the number of a locomotive and which ordinarily comprises a plate of glass etched or otherwise suitably prepared to answer the required function and bearing the desired signal characters.

O is the frame, in which the number or signal plate is carried and which comprises the members a, t, and c, arranged in the form more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the member I; extending around the sides and ends of the frame, while the members L and c extend around the upper and lower sides and one end only, leaving an open space a (see Fig. 2) at the opposite end thereof through which the signal-plate is inserted in and removed from the frame, the member a being riveted or otherwise secured to the ease, in which there is an opening Z corresponding with an openingeof the frame formed by the inside edges (indicated by the letter f) of the member thereof, and thus the part g of the case immediately surrounding the opening (Z therein forms a back for the frame and which, in coujunction with the latter, constitutes a pocket am, in which the signal-plate is carried, the `function of the opening (il being' to admit light to illuminate the signal-plate from the inside of the headlight-case.

At the open end of the frame, at each side thereof, there is a projecting ear 7i, to which is hinged an end piece or cover l), provided with ears e', corresponding with the said ears /i of the frame O, the said end piece being hinged to the frame by means of pins y', a washer a, of brass or other suitable material, being placed between the ears la. and f/ to prevent their rusting together when made of iron, and which they usually are.

The hinged end piece l) comprises two members Z m, arranged at right angles to each other, the member Z forming a cover for the open end a' of the frame and the member m having an enlarged portion a, which provides additional material thereto to receive and support a catch or fastening device E, rotatably connected therewith and comprising an operating-arm 0, a thumb-piece p, and a lip-piece q, the latter being provided with a shoulder fr, neck s, which operates in a suitable aperture forming a bearing therefor in the member fm., and a squared shank t, by which the lip-piece Q is riveted to the operating-arm o, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The distance between the face of the shoulder r and the face of the lip-piece g corresponds with the thickness of the case material, in which there is a perforation a, (represented more clearly by dotted lines in Fig. 1,) and behind which the said lip-piece engages to lock the hinged end piece in place. Vhen a signal-plate is to be inserted in or removed from the frame, the operating-arm o is turned until it strikes a stop fu, projecting from the enlarged portion n of the member m, which brings the lip-piece q opposite the opening raand when in this position the hinged end piece can' be thrown back to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the plate inserted or removed, as desired.

In the foregoing I have described such details of construction as I prefer to employ in carrying out my invention; but it is obvious that the same may be departed from in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not, therefore, limit the invention to such eXact details.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claiml. The combination with a headlight-case having a signal-opening therein and a perforation adjacent thereto, of asignal-plate holder secured to the case and comprising a frame open at one end and having an open front registering with said opening in the case, a pocket formed in the said frame to receive a signalplate, a cover for closing the open end of said frame, a fastening device rotatably mounted upon said cover and adapted to enter the said perforation, and means to engage said fastening device to fasten said cover in position over the said open end of the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a headlight-case having a signal-opening therein, of a signalplate holder secured to the case and comprising a frame open at one end and having an open front registering with said opening in the case, a pocket formed in said frame to receive a signal-plate, a cover for closing the open end of said frame, a fastening device ro' tatably mounted upon said cover, and means to engage said fastening device to fasten said cover in position over the said open end of the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a headlight-case having a signal-opening therein and a perforation adjacent thereto, of a signal plate holder secured to the case and comprising a frame open at one end and having an open front registering with said opening in the case, a pocket formed in said frame to receive a signal-plate, acover for closing the open end of said frame, and a fastening device adapted to enter the said perforation and engage the inside of the case to fasten the said cover in position over the said open end of the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4E. The combination with a headlight-case having a signal-opening therein and a perforation adjacent thereto, of a signal plate holder secured to the case and comprising a frame open at one end and having an open front registering with said opening in the case, a pocket adapted to carry a signal-plate and formed by the front and edge walls of said frame and that portion of the case immediately surrounding the said opening therein, a closure for the open end of said frame, and a fastening device attached to the said closure and adapted to enter the said perforation and engage the inside of the case to fasten the said closure in position over the said open end of the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. 'Ihe combination with a headlight-case having a signal-opening in the main body thereof and a perforation adjacent thereto, of a signal-plate holder secured to the case on the outside thereof and comprising a frame open at one end and having an open front registering with said opening in the case, a pocket adapted to carry a signal-plate and formed by the front and edge walls of said frame and that portion of the main body of the case immediately surrounding the said opening therein, a closure for the open end of said frame, and a fastening device attached to said closure and adapted to enter the said perforation and engage the inside of the case to fasten said closure in position over the said open end of the fi'ame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. y

6. As anew article of manufacture,the within-described signal-frame adapted to be secured to the case and having the open space at one end thereof, in combination with an end piece hinged to the frame to cover the said open space, and a fastening device rotatably mounted upon said end piece and adapted to fasten the same in position over the said open space, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a signal-plate holder for headlight-cases comprising a frame open at one end and having an open front, a pocket formed in said frame to receive a signal-plate, a cover for closing the open end of said frame, a fastening device rotatably mounted upon said cover to enter a suitable perforation in the case and to fasten said cover in position over the said open end of the frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY S. TEAL.

Witnesses:

EDWARD H. CASTLE, R. P. DEARDORFF.

IOO

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and adapted 

